MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – After playing his rookie season in the USPHL last year, Zane Rydel is readying himself for a homecoming of sorts in 2021-22.
Last week, Rydel signed with the Jets and will be back in his home state to finish off his junior hockey career.
During the 2020-21 season, Rydel tallied six goals and 14 points in 41 regular-season games for the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings, playing away from his Gregory, Mich., residence for the first time. He added one assist in four playoff games for the Riverkings.
“I think I matured because of the independence I had living away from home,” said Rydel, a 2001 birth year forward. “Due to the level of play and the competition, playing against older and stronger players helped to develop my game and my confidence as a player grew.”
Rydel added that he has long known about the Jets and the environment surrounding the club.
“I got to know (Jets assistant coach) Randy Wilson over the past few years, and Randy has said a lot of positive things about the Jets organization and sparked my interest in them,” Rydel said. “The team is also close to home and that is a big plus for me entering my last year of junior hockey.
“One thing that has really stood out to me about the Jets is the advancement of players. They are a big-name organization in the junior world. The coaches and staff really put the team and players first. Along with my hard work and determination, I believe they can help me achieve my dreams of becoming a college athlete. I feel I can bring a lot of energy to the team this year with my style of play and physicality. It seemed to make a big impact during my last season.”
Jets coach-GM Justin Quenneville said bringing in Rydel will be win-win for all involved.
“Bringing in a veteran player like Zane will add another dynamic to our lineup,” said Quenneville. “He is a big, physical power forward with experience and is coming from a top organization in our league whose players are well coached. He plays the game hard, creates room for his linemates, and will be a difficult player to defend against. More importantly, we look forward to helping reach his goals of playing at the college level. I know he is excited to get started and put on a Jets jersey, and so are we.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Rydel said his short-term goal in hockey is to give it his all, day in day out, on and off the ice. His long-term goal is to play college hockey and get an education.
